FOR the first time in its 13 year history Farm Weekly's Win 10 Angus Heifers competition has seen two prize winners drawn from the more than 16,000 entries received.
The major prize of 10 unmated 2019 drop Angus heifers and a John Deere E140 Select Series ride-on mower from AFGRI Equipment Australia was won by Dale Gowland, Midland, while the minor prize - a matching John Deere ride-on mower also from AFGRI - was won by Peter Hill, Laverton.
Mr Gowland was still trying to absorb the news several hours after being told of his good fortune.
"There has been a bit of a rivalry between me and my sister (Heather) and her daughter (Kate), also subscribers, about getting our entries in to these Farm Weekly competitions," Mr Gowland said.
"I have never won anything before so I am really chuffed."
Mr Gowland, who works in a State government customer service role, grew up reading Farm Weekly at the family property in Bullsbrook where his father traded sheep and cattle.
He returned to the fold as a subscriber four years ago when he and his brother Andrew, who works in logistics, bought a graingrowing property at Kununoppin together.
"I don't think the heifers will like it too much at Kununoppin so I'll ask my sister if she will run them at her place at Gingin," Mr Gowland said.
"But the mower will be fantastic out there at the house and for a bit of fire control around the yard."
Ironically the heifers, selected from a herd of 650 breeders at Old Bambun Grazing owned and run by Gingin producers Steve and Irene Neville, their daughter Megan and her husband Leigh McCallum will now almost be able to walk to their new home.
Mr Gowland's sister Heather and her husband Stephen Dewar run 130 Red Angus breeders with some legacy Red Poll infusion on properties north of Gingin which would be barely 10 kilometres from where the Old Bambun heifers are based.
While a bit miffed he didn't win the heifers himself, Mr Dewar said he was excited for his brother-in-law and would be happy to have them depastured at his Spring Park property.
"Kate's always been at all of us about getting our entries in so it's good to see someone in the family have a win," Mr Dewar said.
Adding to the irony, he used to work for the late Matty Dewar, Gingin, a distant relative for a while in the 1980s and 90s often crossing paths and working with Steve Neville, who moved to the district in 1984.
Matty Dewar would become a close friend and mentor to Mr Neville, later bequeathing part of his property and Angus herd to him, the foundation of the Old Bambun herd.
While disappointed not to have won the major prize in Farm Weekly's competition, Laverton octogenarian Peter Hill was genuinely thrilled to have won the second prize of a John Deere ride-on mower from AFGRI.
"I turn 87 in March so that's a pretty good birthday present," Mr Hill said.
"I have been entering all your (Farm Weekly) competitions since you were giving away motorbikes as prizes and I was even at Dowerin Field Days watching the year you did the draw for the big machine there.
"I'm proof you are never too old to win," he said.
Mr Hill has lived his entire life in the Laverton region, mostly on Bandya and Lake Wells stations where he ran sheep and later cattle, before selling up and joining the Water Corporation for 20 years.
He still lives in Laverton with his wife Maureen, who turns 87 one month after him in April.
"Now we just need a bit of rain for lawns because we've been missing out badly but we did get 6.4mm last week," Mr Hill said.
WA Angus Society chairman Liz Sudlow, Northampton, congratulated the winners and said her members were delighted to again be a part of the competition.
"I believe it is quite unique across Australia and it's a wonderful example of collaboration between Angus breeders and Farm Weekly in what is very much a win/win," Ms Sudlow said.
"Thanks to the ongoing work of Bruce Campbell, we this year had 35 members from across the State contributing to the group effort.
"From our perspective it's a fantastic opportunity to promote the Angus breed and give one lucky person the chance to acquire some quality heifers bred by the Nevilles and it's great to hear the competition has attracted so many entries and continues to be so incredibly successful."
AFGRI Equipment Australia marketing and small ag manager Jacques Coetzee said it was a privilege to be part of the competition and pleasing to know that two people would soon be enjoying the benefit of John Deere ride-on mowers.
"It is really exciting to see how many entries were received from all around the State" Mr Coetzee said.
"Thanks to Farm Weekly, the competition was very well promoted and the prizes on offer were obviously prizes people really wanted to win."
Farm Weekly general manager Trevor Emery said the Win 10 Angus Heifers Competition was Farm Weekly's longest running competition and a great way to give something back to subscribers.
"The competition has always been about offering some of the best commercial Angus genetics from within the State and we believe we have achieved this over the years which is a credit to the breed and WA's Angus breeders," Mr Emery said.
"This year we also partnered with AFGRI Equipment Australia to bring additional interest and a second prize offer to the competition which has also been a great success."
